Aleksey Yakimenko

Yakimenko entered the piste on 31–40 and managed 14–4 in his last bout to get his team to the final, where Russia crushed Belarus 45–30, allowing him to claim his 5th European title in a row.

Aleksey Andreyevich Yakimenko (Алексей Андреевич Якименко; born 31 October 1983) is a Russian sabre fencer, eight-time team world champion (2002, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016), eleven-time European champion (team and individual), and team bronze medallist in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2002 he won the silver medal and the team gold medal at the European Junior Championships in Conegliano and became double Junior World champion in Antalya.

He was noted for his "dazzling technique, sparkling physique and excellent coordination".

Yakimenko's debut senior competition was the team event of the 2002 World Championships in Lisbon, where he won a gold medal together with Sergey Sharikov, Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Aleksey Frosin.

He claimed his first individual medal at the 2003 European Championships in Bourges: his winning streak was interrupted only in the final by his captain, four-time Olympic champion Pozdnyakov.

He came away with a silver medal, to which a team gold medal was added a few days later.

He was defeated in the second round of the World Championships, but Russia retained his World title.

In the 2003–04 season Yakimenko climbed his first World Cup podium with a gold medal in Bonn, followed a few months later by a second place in the Nancy Grand Prix.

He won the Fencing World Cup series three times (2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11), with fifteen titles to his name, and earned five gold medals in the Universiade.

Yakimenko started fencing at the age of 7 in his hometown Barnaul under coach Aleksey Fitsev, a friend of his father's. He also practiced football and athletics, but fencing soon had his preference.

Within two months of training he became champion of Altai Krai for his age group.

At the age of 13 he moved to Moscow to train at MGFSO under national coach Aleksandr Filatov.

He made his Olympic début in the team event of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens along with Sharikov, Pozdnyakov, and Aleksey Dyachenko.

Russia lost against Italy in the semi-final, but narrowly prevailed over the United States to earn the bronze medal.

The 2004–05 season saw Yakimenko win four World Cup events in Budapest, Moscow, Warsaw, and Thiès.

He was stopped in the second round at the 2005 European Championships in Zalaegerszeg, like all his teammates.

They took they revenge by winning the team event after overcoming Poland in the final.

At the World Championships in Leipzig Yakimenko claimed his first individual World medal, a bronze, after being stopped in the semi-finals by Pozdnyakov.

In the team event, Pozdnyakov's contribution allowed Russia to edge out Italy in the final and Yakimenko took his third team World title.

With 280 points he became the second Russian after Pozdnyakov to win the World Cup in men's sabre.

He also won the individual and team events at the 2005 Summer Universiade in Belgrade.

In the 2005–06 season Yakimenko won the Budapest, Moscow, and Santiago World Cups.

At the 2006 European Championships in İzmir he edged past Romania's Florin Zalomir in the semi-finals, then defeated Ukraine's Volodymyr Lukashenko to earn his first European individual title.

In the team event Yakimenko was trusted to close the matches, a role Pozdnyakov had fulfilled for ten years.

Another change was the line-up of young Nikolay Kovalev.

Russia were narrowly beaten by Romania in the semi-finals, but prevailed over Belarus to win the bronze medal.

In the World Championships Yakimenko was defeated in the first round by Belarus' Aliaksandr Buikevich.

Russia's director of fencing Sergey Kolganov attributed this below-par performance to overtraining and mental exhaustion after a long season.

Yakimenko finished the season No.4.

Yakimenko climbed four World Cup podiums in the 2006–07 season, including victories in Tunis and Madrid.

At the 2007 European Championships in Ghent, he prevailed over Pozdnyakov in the semi-finals, but he was defeated in the final by an unexpected Jorge Pina from Spain and was relegated to the silver medal.

Pozdnyakov later commented that Yakimenko had underestimated the Spaniard.

In the team event Yakimenko became the second most senior fencer of the team as national coach Boris Pisetsky brought young Veniamin Reshetnikov in the line-up.

After a strong beginning in the semi-finals Russia were surprised by Ukraine's comeback.

Yakimenko earned his second gold medal in the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, as well as a bronze medal in the team event.

In the World Championships at home in Saint-Petersburg, No.1 Yakimenko was defeated by Ukraine's Lukashenko, to whom he had never lost before.

In the team event Russia were defeated by Hungary by a single hit in the first round and finished 5th.

Yakimenko finished the season World No.1 for the second time of his career.

In the 2007–08 season Yakimenko earned two World Cup medals in Moscow and Warsaw.